Presumptive identification of enteroviruses with RD, HEp-2, and RMK cell lines

The limited supply of the Lim Benyesh-Melnick antiserum pools for the typing of enteroviruses has made this test inappropriate for routine use in most clinical laboratories. We studied the correlation between the enterovirus groups and the cell lines on which they displayed cytopathic effect in order to make identifications without using the neutralization test. This study indicated that a presumptive identification of the enterovirus group could be made on the basis of characteristic cytopathic effect displayed after passage into rhabdomyosarcoma (RD), HEp-2, and primary rhesus monkey kidney (RMK) cells. Echoviruses and group A coxsackieviruses could be isolated in RD and RMK cells but not HEp-2 cells. Group B coxsackievirus could be isolated in RMK and HEp-2 cells but not RD cells. Poliovirus could be isolated in all three cell lines. We recommend the use of these cell lines to make presumptive enterovirus group identifications for routine viral isolates.